Feb 15, 2020
Okay, a little confession. Making this podcast isn’t always easy. Sure, there’s a recipe—pick good guests, coordinate with their schedules, record a good conversation, write and record opening and closing snippets like this, then mix it all together with all the behind-the-scenes tech that brings a finished episode to your ears.
But the recipe doesn’t work without great ingredients, and that’s what I’ve got here today for you with this interview with Chef Allen Fisher of Harvest & Wisdom.
Harvest & Wisdom opened in 2019 in the historic Shangri-la Springs property, which, if you’ve lived here for a while, know has been coming back to life slowly but surely, and the restaurant is just further proof of that.
But what’s unique about the place is that it sources 80% of its menu from the organic gardens right on the property, tucked away behind the original springs that give our town its name. In the interview, Chef Allen explains the process of planning and preparing a garden-driven menu, which adds a layer of complexity you might not realize. That’s not to say he’s not able to cook on the fly, a talent Allen demonstrated in a stint on the Food Network’s Chopped.
Plus, how do you talk to a chef without also having a little snack? Chef Allen shared some yummies with me, and so my apologies for the occasional slurp—it’s all in the name of bringing you the real deal behind the scenes. Plus, at the end of this podcast, you can hear him describe the dishes I got to taste—and you’ll want to check out the pictures over at the show notes page at BonitaBusinessPodcast.com.
Before we dive in, let’s thank our sponsor, Spotlight News Magazine, Spotlight is the local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. You can read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com.
Now, on to my lunch—uh, I mean interview-- with Chef Allen Fisher of Harvest & Wisdom, located right in the heart of Old Bonita at the Shangri-la Springs. Enjoy, cause, as you’ll hear, I did.